The numbers are in and the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority saw a ridership drop by 2.1 percent in 2016. Despite the decline, the agency provided just over 2.902 million rides during the year, the second highest in the agency's 26-year history.

The record ridership was set in 2015 when MVTA provided 2.965 million rides.

Yet even with the slight drop, MVTA did become the second largest transit agency in the state. MVTA surpassed the Duluth Transit Authority for that distinction.

Lower gas prices contributed to the slight drop, said Luther Wynder, executive director of the agency which provides bus service in eight suburbs south of the Minnesota River in Scott and Dakota counties. But new services such as Route 495 providing service between the Mall of America, Burnsville Transit Station and Shakopee helped minimize the drop, the agency said.

MVTA also added extra trips and saw ridership gains on express Route 478 between Rosemount and downtown Minneapolis, express Route 484 between Eagan, Rosemount and downtown St. Paul, express Route 493 between Shakopee and downtown Minneapolis, and local Route 420 between Rosemount and Apple Valley.

Route 460, express service between Burnsville and downtown Minneapolis, had the most rides with 417,162. Next was express Route 477 from Apple Valley to downtown Minneapolis at 346,446, express Route 465 from Burnsville to downtown Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota at 248,249, and local route 444 between Burnsville, Savage and the Mall of America with 237,278. (See table below for the top 10).

A majority of riders, 86 percent, used MVTA buses to get to work while 12 percent said they took MVTA to school

Those who board the second largest transit service in the metro gave it high marks. More than 96 percent of riders said the agency meets or exceeds their expectations.

But they do say MVTA has room for improvement. More than half say they want real-time information at bus stops and 31 percent want that information at transit stations.

MVTA's 2016 highest ridership routes are:

Rank

Route

Total Riders

1

460 (BTS to/from DT Mpls)

417,162

2

477 (AVTS to/from DT Mpls)

346,446

3

465 (BTS to/from DT Mpls/U of M)

248,249

4

444(BV/Savage to/from Mall of America)

237,278

5

480 (BV, AV to/from DT Mpls)

139,521

6

470 (Eagan to/from DT Mpls)

130,897

7

490 (PL/Shakopee to/from DT Mpls)

124,350

8

476 (Palomino Hills to/from DT Mpls)

102,046

9

472 (Blackhawk to/from DT Mpls)

84,650

10

446 (46th St. Station to/from Eagan)

80,927